


Loose Ends

by xfandomwritingsx



Series: To Kirkwall [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26719861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xfandomwritingsx/pseuds/xfandomwritingsx
Summary: After Hawke and Varric have finally settled down, an old friend makes an unexpected appearance.I recommend reading Reuniting and Scars first, but it's not necessary.
Relationships: Female Hawke/Varric Tethras
Series: To Kirkwall [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1464829
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	Loose Ends

Varric could hear Hawke start humming happily as she started to wash up. He closed the bathroom door and smiled to himself. It was a wonder how they ended up here, cohabitating fairly blissfully in her estate after both seemingly starting and stopping the end of the world. Corypheus was defeated. Hawke had come back to Kirkwall. Varric was somehow Viscount. (Even he still wasn’t exactly sure how that one happened.) Everything was weird. But in a good way. Things were finally good.

He tied the sash of his robe around his waist before exiting her - no, wait. - _their_ bedroom. (He was still getting used to that too.) The door closed with a soft click behind him and he walked towards the stairs. When he got close to the railing, he immediately noticed a man in a cloak staring into the fire with Hawke’s oh-so-fantastic guard dog, Moose, laying contently by his feet.

At first he thought it was Fenris. They were expecting him afterall, but not for another couple of days and certainly not at this hour. Varric started to descend the staircase casually for two reasons. The first being he wasn’t too worried about the intruder. For all his buffoonery, Moose wouldn’t let just anyone in. The second was because he had left Bianca in the study and alerting an intruder by running to his weapon was not on his survival how-to list.

“You know it’s not polite to let yourself in,” he called lightly about halfway down the stairs. Moose perked his head up and the man turned away from the fire to look at Varric. His features were clouded by the shadows, but Varric recognized him instantly and his blood ran cold for only a moment before it ran hot. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Hello, Varric,” Anders greeted him, voice solemn and a little surprised. The dwarf was obviously not who he expected.

“You’re really making me regret not having Bianca on me at all times.” Varric planted himself at the bottom of the stairs, body stiff as he tried to control the anger coursing through him. “And you,” he addressed Moose. “I thought I told you not to let _strangers_ in.” Moose whined and Anders eyes fell to the floor, the bitter way Varric spit the word hitting the intended nerve. “Why are you here?” Just for the extra sting, Varric snapped his fingers and motioned for Moose to come to his side, away from Anders. The hound happily obeyed and sat beside him.

“I…” he paused, searching for the right words. Varric noticed his eyes looked tired and his blond hair had grown, peaking out of his hood down around his shoulders. “I need to speak with Hawke.” Varric nearly laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“The lack of response to your letters wasn’t an invitation.” He really just wanted to punch the mage, but he would feel bad about the blood on the floor.

“I know, but this isn’t about me,” Anders tried to explain.

“It never is, is it?” Hawke’s voice came from the second floor. Both men looked up to see her standing at the railing in her bedclothes, hands gripping the wooden edge and peering down. “Nothing you do is _ever_ about you.” The sarcastic bitterness wasn’t missed by either of them, making Anders wince and Varric bite back a smile. If he was honest, a part of him was looking forward to seeing how this reunion would play out. “Selfless healer who sacrificed everything and everyone for the better good, isn’t that right?”

Hawke’s descent down the stairs was chilling. She kept her hard eyes on Anders the entire time, staring him down and forcing his eyes to the floor. She walked down slow, with purpose, wanting to watch him squirm for just a little while longer.

“I don’t take kindly to intruders in my home.” She came to stand besides Varric. He watched Anders carefully, looking to see if he noticed how closely she stood. He hadn’t seemed to question the fact that Varric had been in her mansion at such a late hour (in a robe, no less!) but perhaps that simply spoke to how close he and Hawke had been before their relationship began.

“There are refugees just outside the city,” Anders began, taking the hint that she wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries.

“There are refugees everywhere,” she countered quickly.

“Partly thanks to you,” Varric added, taking a small pleasure in the way Anders shoulders slumped at them ganging up on him.

“They could use your help,” he kept going, pushing through the guilt they laid on him. “They have family here, but the city guards won’t let them in and I can’t sneak them all in myself.”

“So why not appeal to Aveline?” Hawke quipped even though they all knew the answer. The smallest forced smile graced Ander’s lips.

“I think the only way to appeal to her would be to present my head on a platter.” He watched uneasily as Varric and Hawke looked at each other and shrugged, having an entire conversation without words at his expense. “If you’re willing, I’m meeting a contact tomorrow night at the docks.” When neither of them responded, Anders slowly stepped towards the door. “For what it’s worth,” he paused, looking back at Hawke. “I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“Oh, I’m doing very well.” Her arm bumped lightly into Varric’s and Anders eyes were instantly drawn to their hands as their fingers slowly linked together. Realization finally dawned on his face and Varric didn’t even try to hold back his smirk.

“You know the way out,” Varric dismissed him easily, giving Hawke’s hand a squeeze and enjoying the way Ander’s eyes lingered there. It took him an extra moment, but he left without another word. Once they heard the front door shut, Varric turned his attention to the woman at his side. “You need to teach the dog how to guard a bit better. Foolish thing let him walk right in.” Moose whined at his feet and Varric patted his head.

“And yet he growls when he sees Fenris,” she teased. “He’s just got bad taste in men.”

“So, what exactly does that say about me?” Varric laughed as Moose slobbered on his hand. Both he and Hawke chuckled. “Bed?” he suggested.

“Bed.”

~~~

“Is it bad that I’m considering it?” Hawke asked as they lay together in the darkness.

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t,” he assured her, turning under the sheets to face her. She gazed at the pale ceiling, watching the small shadows from the last flickers of the firelight. “It’s not like we have any other pressing engagements tomorrow. We could grab Moose and Daisy and it’d be just like old times.” She shook her head softly.

“No,” she said firmly. “Just us. I don’t want to pull Merrill from the alienage and Moose is clearly untrustworthy.” She called the last bit over the end of the bed and Moose whined from his place on the floor; a plush dog bed near the foot that Varric had painfully trained him to sleep in. He chuckled at the poor hound.

“Probably better that way. Daisy is bound to spill to Aveline anyways.” A light smile appeared on her lips and it was enough to satisfy him. He rolled to his back and closed his eyes.

“If Anders has any delusions about staying in Kirkwall…” He could feel her tense up beside him so he reached under the sheets and squeezed her forearm.

“He’ll have an arrow or a knife in his back. Possibly a sword. All depends on who gets to him first.” Her body relaxed and with a slight laugh, she brought her hand up to hold onto his.

“Goodnight, Varric.”

~~~

Once night fell, Hawke and Varric slipped their gear on, slung their respective weapons over their backs, and headed for the docks. The streets hadn’t changed too much. There were roads and building that needed rebuilt, but most nights it still looked the same. Sometimes it felt like the place was getting cleaned up, but mostly Kirkwall was still riddled with the same amount of crime as before. Only difference now was that casual looters and thieves didn’t want to try their luck on Hawke as often.

The docks were quiet. It made it quite easy to hear the hushed sounds of Anders arguing with a man in a dim corner near the edge of the water. Varric and Hawke looked at each other, listening to the disagreement before making themselves know.

“You weren’t supposed to bring them yet!” Anders hissed. “They aren’t safe! I don’t have a place for them yet!”

“This was when we agreed to originally. Now give me my money or I’ll sell your cargo to someone else.” Hawke didn’t like the way this man said _cargo_ so casually or the way Anders’ eyes widened in a slight panic. She glanced at the man’s ship and noted that it did a good job of looking like a regular trading ship. There were just a few details that put a sour twist in Hawke’s gut.

“I’d like to see the cargo,” Hawke announced. Normally she would have made such a comment much more jauntily, but if Anders was involved with what she thought he was, there was no humor to be had. The man turned to look at her and grinned, showing off a missing front tooth.

“A lady ready to do business! I like it!” He waved her and Varric forward, but Anders stepped in to protest.

“Hawke, that’s not necessary,” he tried. She pulled a small purse from her waist and shook it, little metals jingling inside.

“I’ve got coin,” she told the man. “I want to see the cargo.”

“Right this way.” As she suspected, the man followed the lead of who put the most coin up front. She followed him across the small board walkway onto his ship. Sensing Anders’ nerves, Varric nudged him ahead, keeping him between himself and Hawke as they walked aboard. “This is some fine stock that lousy mage collected.”

The few crew members on deck scattered as they walked by, but Hawke caught sight of others lurking in shadows. Armed. Watching. She resisted the urge to reach for her staff. She did, however take a look behind her and notice Varric was seeing the same things she was.

The man came to a cellar door at the back of the ship. He unlocked it and swung it open proudly, allowing Hawke to peer inside. Her stomach churned as the moonlight poured inside, lighting up dirty, scared faces of children. All of them. Children.

“I can explain,” Anders said from behind her, already in a haste. “They needed help. They’re mages, all of them. They need refuge.”

“So you hired _slavers_ to bring them in?” Hawke could see the man slowly reach for the dagger in his waistband when he heard the disgust in her tone. She gave the kids an apologetic look before gently closing the cellar door.

“I had a plan,” Anders defended.

“Is someone going to pay me for the cargo or am I taking my crew elsewhere?” The man asked, already drawing his dagger. Varric was quicker than him though and had a bolt through the side of his skull before he could even threaten to use it.

“I’ll deal with you after we deal with them,” Hawke sneered, pulling her staff from her back as the guards came out of the woodwork.

It was an easy fight, most of the crew, probably unaware of what kind of ship they had been serving, abandoned the deck quickly. The guards that put up a fight, were nothing special. They’d handled people like that dozens of times. Anders, however noticed a distinct change in the fighting style between the former teammates. When he turned to look for Hawke, she wasn’t by his side like she once was. She was in tandem with Varric.

When the last guard fell, Varric and Hawke approached Anders. They didn’t aim their weapons at him, but they made no move to holster them either. He released his staff, hoping to keep things peaceful.

“I don’t think an explanation is needed,” Varric told him.

“How silly I was to think that when you said _refugees_ you meant adults and that _just outside the city_ didn’t mean on a slaver’s ship.” Hawke’s sarcasm had a sharp bite to it.

“It was the quickest way to get them all here at once.” She rolled her eyes at the poor excuse. “I had a contact on the ship. They were safe.” He sounded like he actually believed it and there was a subtle, repressed darkness in his voice that made Hawke wonder just how much of this was Justice.

“Where did they come from?” Varric asked, finger itching to touch the trigger.

“Various places all over the Free Marches,” he told them. “Some were abandoned and orphaned. Others were rescued from the grip of Templars.” His glanced almost regretfully to the cellar door. “They needed help.”

“So you’ve said,” Varric cut him off shortly. “A lot, I might add.” Anders’ brows knitted together and there was a slight twitch in his hand that Hawke didn’t like.

“Leave,” she commanded. “This is the last time I’m letting you go.” She took her staff in both hands, standing more aggressively. “If I see you in Kirkwall again, if you come anywhere near any of us, if you so much as write to us, I will have you killed.” She paused, searching his eyes. “Both of you.” She wasn’t confident if she was speaking to Anders or Justice or if there was even a difference anymore. His tension softened at her threat and he gave her a look that just for a moment, made her heart ache.

“Hawke,” he tried. “I’m sorry.” She knew he was honest. The sound of his voice and the look in his eyes reminded her of the old Anders, of the one she fell in love with. Her tender nostalgia was quashed when his eyes turned to Varric. The subtle look of jealousy gave her a twisted pleasure. Anders turned to leave, but paused for a moment and turned to address Varric. “Please just… take care of her.”

“Oh, Blondie,” Varric chuckled. “The irony here is that you don’t realize I’ve always taken care of her. Even when it should have been you doing it.” While the brutality of the words caused a sting in Anders, it brought an affectionate pang to Hawke and she resisted the urge to throw her arms around the dwarf and kiss him. Anders retreated quickly off the ship and into the darkness of the night. Hawke let out a heavy sigh before turning to the cellar door again.

“Let’s get these kids somewhere safe,” she said to Varric.

When the moonlight poured onto their faces again, they looked up at her hopefully. A taller boy, perhaps just shy of being of age, came forward through the group, pushing littler ones behind him protectively.

“It’s alright,” Hawke assured him gently.

“You’re in Kirkwall,” Varric said beside her. “Maybe not the most luxurious of places, but you’re safe at least.” The boy’s eyes were trained on their clothes and when Hawke looked down, she realized the sight of blood on them was likely not a good sign to the kids.

“We uhhh… took care of the slavers,” she offered for reasoning.

“Where’s the man? The one who took us?” the boy asked. His voice sounded dry. He needed water.

“Anders is gone,” she told him gently, not noticing how Varric scrunched his brow at the boy’s question. “We’re going to take care of you.” A little girl with a stuffed toy peeked around the boys legs.

“Can we go home?” she squeaked. The boy patted her head gently before looking up at Hawke again.

“Are you going to take us all home?” There was hope in his voice and the way it shone in all of their eyes made Hawke ache. They hadn’t agreed to go with Anders. They were _taken_.

“Hawke,” Varric whispered. “I think now would be a good time to go get Aveline.” Her eyes turned to him slowly and there was harshness, a bloodthirsty look on her face that Varric felt reflected in his core.

“I could still catch him,” she whispered. “If you stay here, I can catch up to him and finish it.” As much as he wanted to let her go, he reached out and wrapped his hand over her forearm.

“We will hunt him down later,” he promised. “We need to take care of them first.” She looked between Varric and the hull of children before sighing. She knew he was right. These kids were the pressing priority.

“Okay,” she conceded. “Go get Aveline. I’ll get these kids up onto the dock.”

~~~

Varric had to tell Aveline to “lecture him later” about three too many times in the short span it took to get her and her guards to the docks. He’d eventually tuned her out and fell back behind her guard just to get out of earshot.

When they arrived, all the torches lit up the docks so it was practically daylight out. There were kids everywhere, mostly huddled in little bunches and they tried to keep to the shadows as best they could. It was hard to watch and even harder to look away. So instead, he looked for Hawke.

It took him a minute to find her and when he did, he felt like his heart might burst. She was sitting on a stack of crates, using a slight bit of magic to keep the area dim for the child who was sleeping with his head in her lap. She looked so different in that moment; legs folded up underneath her, running her fingers through the dirty hair of a small boy taking comfort in her arms.

“I know you have a habit of taking in strays,” he joked quietly as he approached them. “But something tells me this one belongs somewhere.” She gave him a muted glare and didn’t stop stroking the boy’s head.

“He was scared and so tired,” she told him. Varric scrambled up onto the crate next to her and leaned against her shoulder, looking down at the boy. He had shaggy hair that Varric guessed was sandy colored when it was clean and clothes that seemed fairly new. “He was one of the last ones Anders brought in.” Hawke shared. “Some of them were with him for far too long.”

“Any time with Anders is far too long.” Varric reached out and moved some the boy’s hair off his face.

“He wouldn’t tell me about his parents.” There was a slight tremor in her voice that pulled Varric’s eyes to hers. “I think Anders might have…” Dread ran through him. He looked out at the dock of kids giving their information to the guards and wondered just how many of them were orphaned now.

“I already sent a contact to track him.” He told her lowly. An arrow would be too good for him. Varric much preferred the idea of wrapping his hands around his throat. “Aveline will make sure everyone gets back to their families. We’ll get them safe for the night and get everything moving in the morning.”

“Tell Aveline the mansion has extra beds.” His eyebrows raised at that. “These kids shouldn’t be put in the barracks. It’s cold and dingy and a place for soldiers, not kids. The mansion has room.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and rubbed his hand on her back.

“We don’t have room for all of them.”

“We have room for most of them. Orana will love having people to fuss over and Moose will love the attention.” She looked down at the boy, her stroking pauses for a moment. “It’s my fault they’re here.” Varric squeezed her in a half-hug. “I let him go free. I shouldn’t have.” He thought about telling her otherwise, about taking some of the blame himself, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. So he sighed instead and looked out at the docks again.

“Hawke Estate: Orphanage for Lost Mages.” They both smiled softly before he hopped back off the crate to go give the Guard Captain her orders.

~~~

It took weeks to get all the kids back to their families or in some cases, what was left of them. The look on Fenris’s face when he arrived and saw the mansion filled with little ones was an expression Varric would never forget. All of the chaos was almost worth it just for that.

They’d found the Aunt and Uncle of the little boy that had fallen asleep on Hawke’s lap, whose name they learned was Arthur, shortly before Fenris was set to depart. As they were located in the direction he was headed, he offered to escort the boy there. Varric watched from the top of the stairs as Hawke and Arthur said their goodbyes. As Varric suspected they would, they had grown close in the time Arthur stayed with them.

“Fenris is going to make sure you get home safely,” Hawke assured him for what had to be the tenth time that morning. “I know he looks all pointy and scary and unfriendly, but he’s one of the best men I know.” With Hawke on her knees and her attention on Arthur, she didn’t notice how Fenris looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. Varric chuckled softly to himself.

“Thank you,” he whispered before flinging his arms around her neck and nearly knocking her off balance. Varric felt a sad warmth, a yearning even, fill his belly as she returned the little boy’s hug. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too,” she said into his, now clean hair. She reluctantly pulled away from him and brushed a couple of tears off of his cheeks. “Make sure your Aunt and Uncle write me, okay?” He nodded earnestly. “Now off you go. Time to go home.” She stood up and Fenris outstretched his hand for Arthur to take. He hesitated only a moment, looking at Fenris’s pointed gloves with question, before remember what Hawke had said.

Before walking through the archway, Arthur turned to look over his shoulder at Varric. “Thank you, Mr. Varric!” he called. Varric gave him a wave.

“Anytime, kid.” He had to admit he’d grown a soft spot for him. Varric never fancied himself anything of a father or anything, but damned if he didn’t love teaching the kid to play cards or the look on his face when Varric bought him new clothes. “Take care.” With one more look to Hawke, Arthur followed Fenris out.

~~~

It was a night nearly a month after all the kids had left, that Varric looked at Hawke and asked the question that scared him.

“Do you ever think about kids?” Hawke scrunched her nose and looked at him like she didn’t understand the question. She shuffled some papers around his desk. They were going over the intel on Anders. The bastard was quick, but Varric called in a favor from Leliana who called in a favor from a Crow and they about had him pinned down.

“You mean like Arthur?” she asked, setting some of the papers down.

“Not exactly.” Varric shifted in his chair. “I meant… _having_ kids.” Her eyes widened just a little when she caught up with him.

“Oh! You mean with…” Her fingers pointed rapidly between the two of them. “Can we even… Is that possible?” He watched as she wracked her brain, trying to recall any sort of knowledge on cross-species reproduction and coming up wildly short of any useful information.

“I was putting logistics aside.” He watched as she contemplated the question.

“I never thought I’d make a good mother,” she admits, finally putting the rest of the papers onto his desk.

“Never thought I’d make a good father either and if my bones creaking is any indication, I’m getting old as dirt.” She cracked a smile at him. “But all those kids I think, Arthur in particular, prove there’s no shortage of lonely, lost children around Thedas that could use two semi-stable adult figures in their lives and we didn’t do so bad with them.”

“You were good with Arthur.” She smiled warmly. “It would mean settling down. No more running around to stop the world from ending.” He took a moment to look around the room they were in; an office of sorts in the corner of the mansion’s library.

“I think we’ve pretty much already settled down,” he chuckled. She shrugged in silent agreement. “And having kids _would_ be its own adventure.”

“Wouldn’t that be the truth?” A wide smile burst onto her lips and she barked out a laugh. “Could you just imagine; Aunt Isabela?” He had to laugh with her.

“You think Rivaini would be bad? She’d be a saint compared to Sera!” Their laughter filled the quiet room and Varric felt it heat his chest. One thing was for sure, he never wanted to be anywhere else but by Hawke’s side ever again. Losing that feeling of love and laughter would surely kill him.

“It would certainly be interesting, to say the least,” she mused as the laughter died down. “It’s something to definitely consider,” She drew his eyes away from him and back to the map on his desk. “After we tie up some loose ends.”

“Let’s get to it then,” he told her with one more smile.

He watched her delve back into the papers and mark spots on the map. She studied everything intently. This was the final piece of her past she needed to shut the door on once and for all and he was more than happy to help her do it. Taking care of Anders was going to give them the peace they needed. They peace she _deserved_.

“Marian,” he called softly, pulling her once more from the papers. He reached out over the surface of the desk and extended his hand to her. She slipped her hand into his and he held on tightly. “You would make a wonderful mother.” A blush actually reached up onto her cheeks and she returned the firm hold on his hand.

“And you would make one hell of a father.”

They’d been adding onto their makeshift family for years. Both of them had more friends than they ever imagined having before. Their family was immense. But maybe, just maybe, one day there would be room for another little member. Should they be married first? Probably. That’s what normal society dictated anyways. But that’s exactly why he’d sent his family signet ring out to be cleaned last week. 

_One thing at a time,_ he reminded himself, forcing his eyes away from her face and back to the papers.

**Author's Note:**

> This seriously threatened to delve into very dark and depressing places with Anders kidnapping kids, but I tried to keep it light despite that. Hopefully I succeeded. 
> 
> If you enjoyed, please drop a kudos or comment! Us authors live off of comments.
> 
> If you’re really feeling generous, you can buy me a coffee!  
> https://ko-fi.com/writerashley
> 
> Keep up with my progress on Instagram!   
> https://www.instagram.com/thatfandomwriter/


End file.
